English · Graph & Chart Writing
Graph & Chart Writing for HSC
Describing a bar chart, pie chart, line graph or table in the paragraph the board expects.
A graph question asks you to turn numbers into prose. You are not asked to explain why the figures are what they are — only to describe what they show, accurately, using the language of comparison and change. Inventing causes is the single commonest way to lose marks here.
This section holds 6 pages. Each one opens with a short, direct answer, then teaches the format step by step, then gives a complete model answer you can study and adapt — not copy, since an answer lifted whole from a website is the one thing an examiner reads hundreds of times.
How to use it
- Read the answer at the top — for a format question that is often all you need.
- Work through the format before the model, so you can see why the model is laid out the way it is.
- Pair it with the grammar rules — a well-structured letter still loses marks for tenses and articles.
All Graph & Chart Writing Pages
Graph and Chart Writing Rules for HSC
How to describe any graph or chart in the paragraph the board expects, with the language.
How to Describe a Bar Chart
Describing a bar chart, with the comparison language and a full model paragraph.
How to Describe a Pie Chart
Describing proportions in a pie chart, with the vocabulary and a model answer.
How to Describe a Line Graph
Describing change over time, with the tense choices and a complete model.
How to Describe a Table
Turning a data table into prose, with the selection rule and a model answer.
Graph Writing Vocabulary — Words for Change and Comparison
The verbs, nouns and adverbs that describe rise, fall and comparison, with examples.